Automatic depth-drilling machine



E. J. GOULD AUTOMATIC DEPTH DRILLING MACHINE I Feb. 19 1924.

Filed March 23, 1921 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 19 1924.-

AUTOMATIC DEPTH DRILLING MACHINE E. J. GOULD Filed March 23 1921 L 47 fl I '3 Sheets-Sheet 2- FIG. 6

INVENTOR Feb. 19 1924.

. E. J, GOULD AUTOMATIC DEPTHDRILLING MACH INE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 23, 1921 INVENTOR 5% EDWIN J. GOULD, or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, nssronon. or ONE-HALF 'ro CHARLES 'r.

' HENRY, J. BROOK MILLARD, AND J0 VANIA.

SEPH '1. HENRY, ALL OF YORK, PENNSYL- nu'romn'rrc DEPTH-DRILLING macmnn Application filed March as, 1921. Serial no. teases.-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'EDWIN J. GOULD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Depth-Drilling Machines, whereof the following is a specification.

The objects I have in view are to provide a drill that can operate at a greater depth than any now in use, by eliminating all strain or weight on the cable when the drill is in operation, to combine the driving motor and the drill itself into a compact and complete working unit that can be lowered to any depth, and to provide a simple and efiectivemeans of automatically securing the machine at the bottom of the well.

' Other objects and advantages will be further brought out in the description of the operations.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a View partly in section of an elevation of the entire mechanism shown attached inside of a well casing; Fig. 2 is a plan view in section at the line 2 2; Fig. 3 is a plan section at the line 3 3; Fig. 4 is an elevation, in section of the expanding reamer shown inside a well casing; Fig. '5

is a bottom view of the reamer with the reamer cutters removed showing slots in which expanding cutters fit; Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the water, tank, the

clutch, and a supplementary air tank for setting the clutch when the mechanism is used without the main air hose; Fig. 7 is a view in elevation showing a modification of the device where an electromagnetic clutch,

- parts throughout the several views.

an electric motor, auger drill; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the electric clutch; Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of a modification of the clutch actuated by the cable 1 attached to a series of levers; and- Fig. 10 is a plan view in section at the line 10-10.. Similar numerals refer to similar In operation the entire device having been lowered into the well casing by the cable 1, air

is turned on from a compressor throu h the main air hose 2, the pressure valve 3 y re-- sistance causing the air to 0 through the -by-pass & and the check va ve 5, inflatingthe elastic reservoir tube 6, which in exare used and a rotary panding presses the clutch rings 7-7 in opposite directions, causing them to tighten against the casin 8, because the tank ribs 9 are set at a slig t angle to the casing, being furthest from the casing near the elastic tube 6, and nearer the casing at their outside ends, the tank ribs 9 fit slots 10in the clutch rings 7-7 and as soon as suficient air pressure has been exerted to cause the clutch rings to'expand and clutch the inside of the casing with the scarified surfaces of the clutch members where they hold the device from turning in the casing when the drill is in operation. The pressure valve 3'is forced open by the added air pressure, after its a limit of resistancecis reached, and it allows the air to go through the main air hose 2', to the compressed air motor 11; the compressed air motor througha train of reduction gears 12'rotates the core barrel 13, the lower edge of thecore barrel 13 has screwed to it a cutting bit or drill 14, which cutting.

diamond drill or bit or drill 14, may be a chilled shot bit, but the bit is here shown as having hardened steel teeth.

While thedrill is being rotated by the compressed air motor 11, the check valve 16 admits airunder pressure, coming through the by-pass'17 of the main air hose 2 to the cylinder 18, and the air by exerting pressure on the piston head-19, keeps a steady pressure of the cutting teeth against the bottom of the well sulficient to make them cut, and is sliding the motor and core barrel downwards on the slide rods 20 as the teeth out their way in. The expanding air reservoir 16, the clutch rings 7 7' and tank ribs 9, surround and are attached to a concave water tank 21 containing water, and having I lhis allows thewater dis-. 1

charged through thepipe 22 to. run between the casing and the core barrel, and causes the sediment ground out by .the drill teeth,

to mix ingo a soft sludge.

The se ond pipe 23 returns fluid to the water tank, because by-pass 24: is let into the pipe 23 from the motor exhaust pipe 25,-

a ortion of the exhaust impulses carries into the tank 21. n will be understood in fluld upward through the c'heckfvalsze 26 this connection that a small amount of water can be poured into the well before the drill is let down, sufiicient in amount t-o-cover the lower end of the pipe 23, which pipe as soonas the air" motor is started, raises the water level'in the tank 21 by the exhaust impulses through by-pass 24. until the water level in the tank 21 is raised above theupper end of thepipe 22. The water then runs through the pipe 22 and keeps up a continuous circulation.

The solid matter then tends to settle to the bottom of the tank 21'and the water flows again through outlet pipef22, keeping up a constant circulation to carry away and raise the'sludge, from the cutting teeth of the drill. When the drill and .motor have cut themselves down thefull length of the slide rods 20, the piston head 19, then comes below a hole 27, in the cylinder. wall 18,

automatically releasing the air pressure on the piston 19. The'cable 1 is then slowly tightened, the slip swivel 28 pulls u the length of its slip link, before the cab e begins to raise vt e entire device, and the spring wire 29, attached to the lever 30, opens the valve 31, which releases the air pressure in the elastic clutch reservoir. 6, after which the clutches release their grip on the casing. Then the tank 21, the slide .rods 20, and the piston head 19 slide down and resume the position assumed at start-v ing, the teeth bottom of the V tions again and drill to the length of the slide rods. This operation is repeated until a solid core fills the entire length of the core barrel. en the air is released by pulling up the cable to the length of the slip joint in the slide swivel 28, the springs 32 automatically move the clutch rings 77 toward the center of the tank 21, releasgrip on the casing 8, the clutch rings allowing the The air having of the drill resting on the ing the clutch slits 33 in the rings to contract easily.

been shut v0ft, the whole device is' hoisted drilled from the well by the cable 1. The self expanding (core holding rin 34, holding the core in the core barrel. he core barrel is then detached and 'emptiedfthe-tank also is emptied of the sludge and refilled with water, the expanding reamer bit Fig. 4 is then attached to the motor in place of the drill and core barreh Thehollow stem 35 of thereamer having aline of holes 36 through its shell, the air being turned on throu h the main hose. 2'passes under pressure rough an extension of the bypass 17, the end of the by-pass hose 17 bein attached to aball bearing packed collar 3 which does not rotate. The air passin through'the line of holes 36 into the c ,i'nder'39'brings air pressure to bear on e reamer 38, when thereamer cutters-..40

' reach the bottomof the casing 8, the air well ready to begin opera-V g3 es es I) pressure on the .reamer head 38 causes the reamer cutters 40 to slide on the pins 41 working in slots 42 in the reamer cutters. The upper ends of the reamer cutters being attached to the reamer head 38, causes the ends of the cutters 40 to extend beyond the andcuts .out the sides'of the well until the casing and reamer reach the bottom to gether, the bottom edge of the casing being beveled ofi', as shown in'the detached cut at the bottom of Fig. 1. As soon as the air pressure is released through the valve 44 by apull on the spring wire 45, the springs 433 lift up the reamer head 38, and cause the reamer cutters to close in as the reamer "and motorare hoisted from the well by the cable 2. The well is then bailed out in the manner well known and used in standard drilling, and-known as bailing or running the sand pump.

are again attached to the motor and the foregoing procedure repeated.

When the mechanism is operated withoiit the air hose 2 the high pressure air tank 46 is attached to the top of the water tank 21, the valve 47 being held shut by the arm The drill and core barrel 48, the shank of the arm 48 sliding in clips 49, and being attached to the cable 2 by a spring wire 50, fastened to the cable 2 by a clip 51. As soon as the drill rests on the.

bottom of the well the valve is released and air under pressure operates the expanding clutches 7-7 as previously described. When the cable 2 is tightened theair is released from the expanding air reservoir, by the valve 30, and when the whole mechanism is lowered, the clutches are again pressed against the casing8 by air pressure from the air tank 46. The compressed air to run the drill, after the clutch is set, enters .the air motor through the pipe 2, by the yalve 3, the same as though the main air hose 2 was used, in this instance the well casing 8 acting as the air hose. Fig. 7 shows a modification of the device in which an electric motor, and an electric clutch, are-used in place of the air motor, and air clutch shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that when the electric current is turned on through the conducting wire 52 the current passes through the coil 53, and causes the electro-magnetic clutch "54, to adhere to the casing 8, causing the split ring55 to expand slightly. ;Theexpansion ring 55 has slots fitting over 'ln s 56 rejecting from the holfing' the motors 58 -58 from turning in the well when the drill is in'operation, the motor casing 57 being perfectly water tight to protect and insulate the motorby. keep-- ing the motor from contact with any water in the well. soon as the clutch is set the motor casing 5 current is turned on through the conducting wire 59 the motors rotate the stem 60 sald stem having a squared extension 61 having a sliding fit in the sleeve 62 of the rotary auger drill 63. Attached to the motor stem 60 are reduction gears 64, turning a threaded shaft 65 which engages a threaded collar 66 attached to the drill sleeve 62 causing a steady pressure to be exerted on the drill forcing it downward as the drill rotates. When the drill has cut down to the limit of the sleeve and threaded shaft, the clutch is released, and the whole mechanism hoisted from the well, which is then bailed out and the operation repeated. Fig. 10 shows anautomatic lever clutch which operates as follows:

When this clutch is attached to the device the weight of the device keeps the clutch 67 from pressing against the well casing by action of the series of levers 68 to which the hoisting cable 1 is attached. As soon as the drill reaches the bottom of the well the cable being relieved of the weight, by compression springs 69 force the clutches 67 apart sliding them outward against the surface of the concave shell 70, causing the clutches to grip the well casing 8. When the device is hoisted from the well the pull ofthe cable 1 compresses the springs 69 by the action of the series of levers 68 releasing the clutch 67. Fig. 10 showsthe expanding clutch rin 67 the lugs 56, holding the concave shell 0 fromrotating in the clutch rings one set of the levers 68, and

the rods 71, that hold the levers, and act as a fulcrum.

It will be seen by the description of operation that this device is es ecially adapted for deep drilling, for it is o bvious that once in position and .firmly set in the casing by the clutch, that it will operate as effectively at great depth as it will near the surface, because the driving motor travels downward as a unit with the drill, and it is also plain that the hoisting and lowering of this machine can be accomplished in a rapid manner b reeling up the cable and air hose,

and a owing them to unreel, thus giving a much greater average in' 's eed when any considerable depth is reache than the methods now employed- With the usual methods progress is very rapid near the surface,but the decrease in speed is in geometrical ratio to the depth attained; first, because the "transmission of power from the power plant on the surface is increasingly im erfect as he medium of transmission len liens; and second, because of the time consumed in hoisting and lowering the drill, and this is especially true where pipe driven rotary drills are used, and no great depth can be reached because the time consumed in ho'isting and lowering the drill is much more than the actual drilling'time.

increase in weight is -The limit of the'standard drilling outfit is reached when the stretch in the rope or cable near the surface, which holds the combined weight of the tools and cable, is so great, due to the necessary weight of the string of tools and cable, that the cable will no longer work the tools effectively, and this type also has many troubles from crooked holes, as a crevice, or soft spot at one side of the hole, will deflect and cause the drill to sometimes run one way and then the other, and the cable then saws in running on the turns or corners of the crooked hole, and I time. This very serious drawback is entirely eliminated by my device as while drilling it is held precisely and accurately in line with the casing. I have especially pointed out the difliculties in the ordinary methods of deep drilling and the novelty of construction I have used in mydevice to overcome them, and while the drilling machine has been thus far described as working inside of the casing, it can be used in the manner shown without any casing. whatever, wherever the formation is solid enough to hold up the walls of a drilled well, and to afford a-grip for the expanding clutch, and these conditions are most apt to be found in the deeper drilling, as the increased natural pressure tends to cause the harder, formations. It is apparent that after certain extreme drilling depths are reached, the casmg would not support its own weight by its tensile strength and would then part near vice needs to have no undue weight, the only cable and air hose lengths, and as the cable holds the machines weight only it can be of a moderate size at the drilling machine, and when unsafe stresses come upon itfrom the accumulation of cable weight, a heavier cable can be spliced on .to it at the upper end of the first cable, which process can be repeated to the limit of the size of the drilled hole. This methodcould not 'well be used with the air hose and as the air hose has only to support its own weight at any time it can be fastened to the cable at intervals of its length, in case of suflicient depth being reached to endanger its being able to suport its own weight. The air motor exhausts into lower part of easing 8.

It being desirable to run the drill at comparatively highspeed in some formations, and high speed requiring more power, it will always be'possible to add more electric motor units or increase the number of cylinders from the increase in of arts, as herein disclosed,'but reserve the rig t to make such changes, variations, and modifications, as come properly within the scope "of the protection prayed.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new is 1. In an apparatus of the character described, means for rotating a boring member, a pneumatic clutch member slidably" and nonrotatably attachedto the said-means operating the said drilling member, and means for feeding said boring member.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, pneumatic driving means, a boring member removably attached to said driving means, a pneumatic,- clutch adapted to engage the well casing, and pneumatic means for feeding the said boring member a'prede termined distance. v a

3. In an apparatus'of the character described, 'a compressed air motor slidably and, nonrotatably attached to a pneumatic clutch, a boring member removab'ly attached to said motor, a cylinder attached to said clutch and a piston therein attachedto the said motor for the purpose of producing a predetermined axial movement of the motor means in relation to.

and boring thesaid cylinder and clutch.

sneeaoee scribed, a compressed air motor, a removable boring member, aclutch slidably and nonrotatably attached to said motor, inflatable means in said clutch to cause axial movement of the clutch members for engagement with the well casing, a fluid container arrangedwithin the said clutch, means for keeping, the contents of said container in circulation between said boring means and said container,and pneumatic means for feeding the boring member a predetermined axial distance from thesaid clutch. y

5. The combination in anaut omatic depth #111 an apparatus of the character dedrilling machine of a rotatingmotor, an automatic expanding clutch holding said motor, a rotating cutting bit operated by said.

motor, a means 'for automatically feeding said bit downward from said motor, and a means for automatically releasing said expanding" clutch, all adapted to be operated inside of a drilledwell' at'depth substantially as claimed andsetfforthl .lln testimony that I claim theforegoing, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses, this 17th day of March,

EDWIN J. GUULD- Witnesses V A E. A. WINSTON, Eamorm Bow. 

